Deep packet inspection indication for a mobile CDN

Abstract

Systems and techniques are disclosed to reduce workload on base stations in a mobile network when content delivery networks cache content inside the network. A user equipment sets a flag only with those packets on the uplink which include requests that should be routed to the cache server inside the mobile network. The base stations perform deep packet inspection of those packets where flags have been set and forward other packets on to the rest of the relevant backhaul of the mobile network. After deep packet inspection, the base stations either route the packet to the cache server via an established connection or propagate the flag in an extension header to another network node for routing to the cache server. The resulting content is returned to the UE with the source address of the originally intended destination instead of the cache server, rendering the process transparent to the end user.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a first device, a packet from a second device, the packet including a flag that specifies whether deep packet inspection (DPI) should be performed on the packet; 
 checking, by the first device, the flag included in the packet; and 
 performing, by the first device, DPI of the packet to obtain content information for requested content in response to determining the flag as specifying that the DPI should be performed on the packet, the flag being associated with a type of the requested content of the packet. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 routing the packet on without the DPI in response to identifying the flag as not being set. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing, in response to the DPI, a tunnel with a proxy server that contains cached content; 
 routing the packet to the proxy server via the established tunnel; 
 receiving, from the proxy server, the requested content in response to the packet being routed to the proxy server from the first device, wherein the requested content is obtained from a cache at the proxy server where available and, where not available, from the proxy server reaching out to an identified web server; and 
 transmitting, from the first device, the requested content to the second device with a source address of the identified web server in the packet. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 propagating the flag to a message extension header that is associated with the packet; 
 sending the packet with the message extension header to an intermediate network node, wherein the intermediate network node routes the packet to a proxy server that contains cached content; 
 receiving, from the intermediate network node, the requested content after the intermediate network node receives the requested content from the proxy server, wherein the requested content is obtained from a cache at the proxy server where available and, where not available, from the proxy server reaching out to an identified web server; and 
 transmitting, from the first device, the requested content to the second device with a source address of the identified web server in the packet. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocol data unit (PDU), and the flag is set in one or more reserved bits of the PDCP PDU, the checking further comprising:
 checking the one or more reserved bits of the PDCP PDU for a status of the flag identifying whether the DPI should be performed. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a newly defined media access control (MAC) layer control element (CE), the checking further comprising:
 checking an indication section of the MAC CE that comprises the flag for a status of the flag identifying whether the DPI should be performed. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a base station and the second device comprises a user equipment. 
     
     
       8. A method, comprising:
 generating, by a first device, a packet as part of an uplink message, the packet comprising a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocol data unit (PDU); 
 determining, by the first device, whether the packet includes a request for a predetermined type of content; 
 inserting, by the first device, in the packet of the uplink message, a deep packet inspection (DPI) flag to specify that DPI should be performed on the packet, in response to determining the packet includes the request for the predetermined type of content, the DPI flag being set in one or more reserved bits of the PDCP PDU; and 
 transmitting the packet to a second device. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined type of content comprises video content. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the second device, the requested content in response to the second device routing the packet to a proxy server and, where not available, from the proxy server reaching out to a web server. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the second device, the requested content in response to the second device receiving, from an intermediate network node to which the packet had been routed, the requested content after the intermediate network node receives the requested content from a proxy server, 
 wherein the requested content is obtained from a cache at the proxy server where available and, where not available, from the proxy server reaching out to a web server. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first device comprises a user equipment and the second device comprises a base station. 
     
     
       13. A method, comprising:
 generating, by a first device, a packet as part of an uplink message; 
 determining, by the first device, whether the packet includes a request for a predetermined type of content; 
 inserting, in the packet of the uplink message, a medium access control (MAC) layer control element (CE) that comprises a deep packet inspection (DPI) flag, the DPI flag specifying that DPI should be performed on the packet, in response to determining the packet includes the request for the predetermined type of content, the MAC CE comprising a newly defined CE for use with respect to DPI; and 
 transmitting the packet to a second device. 
 
     
     
       14. An apparatus, comprising:
 a transceiver configured to receive a packet from a separate device, the packet including a flag that specifies whether deep packet inspection (DPI) should be performed on the packet, the packet further including a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocol data unit (PDU), the flag being set in one or more reserved bits of the PDCP PDU; 
 an inspection module configured to:
 check the flag included in the packet; 
 check the one or more reserved bits of the PDCP PDU for a status of the flag identifying whether the DPI should be performed; and 
 perform DPI of the packet to obtain content information for requested content in response to determining the flag as specifying that the DPI should be performed on the packet; and 
 
 a processor configured to execute the inspection module. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the flag is associated with a type of the requested content of the packet. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:
 route the packet on without the DPI in response to identifying the flag as not being set. 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a routing module configured to:
 establish, in response to the DPI, a tunnel with a proxy server that contains cached content by the transceiver; and 
 route the packet to the proxy server via the established tunnel; and 
 
 wherein the transceiver is further configured to:
 receive, from the proxy server, the requested content in response to the packet being routed to the proxy server from the apparatus, wherein the requested content is obtained from a cache at the proxy server where available and, where not available, from the proxy server reaching out to an identified web server; and 
 transmit the requested content to the separate device with a source address of the identified web server in the packet. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the inspection module is further configured to propagate the flag to a message extension header associated with the packet; 
 the transceiver is further configured to:
 send the packet with the message extension header to an intermediate network node, wherein the intermediate network node routes the packet to a proxy server that contains cached content; 
 receive, from the intermediate network node, the requested content after the intermediate network node receives the requested content from the proxy server, wherein the requested content is obtained from a cache at the proxy server where available and, where not available, from the proxy server reaching out to an identified web server; and 
 transmit the requested content to the separate device with a source address of the identified web server in the packet. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the apparatus comprises a base station and the separate device comprises a user equipment. 
     
     
       20. An apparatus, comprising:
 a transceiver configured to receive a packet from a separate device, the packet comprising a flag that specifies whether deep packet inspection (DPI) should be performed on the packet, the packet further comprising a newly defined media access control (MAC) layer control element (CE); 
 an inspection module configured to:
 check the flag included in the packet; 
 check an indication section of the MAC CE that comprises the flag for a status of the flag identifying whether the DPI should be performed; and 
 perform DPI of the packet to obtain content information for requested content in response to determining the flag as specifying that the DPI should be performed on the packet; and 
 
 a processor configured to execute the inspection module. 
 
     
     
       21. An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor configured to generate a packet as part of an uplink message, the packet comprising a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocol data unit (PDU; 
 a flag insertion module configured to:
 determine whether the packet includes a request for a predetermined type of content; and 
 insert, in the packet of the uplink message, a deep packet inspection (DPI) flag to specify that DPI should be performed on the packet, in response to determining the packet includes the request for the predetermined type of content; and 
 set the DPI flag in one or more reserved bits of the PDCP PDU; and 
 
 a transceiver configured to transmit the packet to a separate device, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the flag insertion module. 
 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the predetermined type of content comprises video content. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:
 receive, from the separate device, the requested content in response to the separate device routing the packet to a proxy server and, where not available, from the proxy server reaching out to a web server. 
 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:
 receive, from the separate device, the requested content in response to the separate device receiving, from an intermediate network node to which the packet had been routed, the requested content after the intermediate network node receives the requested content from a proxy server, 
 wherein the requested content is obtained from a cache at the proxy server where available and, where not available, from the proxy server reaching out to a web server. 
 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the apparatus comprises a user equipment and the separate device comprises a base station. 
     
     
       26. An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor configured to generate a packet as part of an uplink message; 
 a flag insertion module configured to:
 determine whether the packet includes a request for a predetermined type of content; and 
 insert, in the packet of the uplink message, a deep packet inspection (DPI) flag to specify that DPI should be performed on the packet, in response to determining the packet includes the request for the predetermined type of content; and 
 include a medium access control (MAC) layer control element (CE) that comprises the DPI flag, the MAC CE further comprising a newly defined CE for use with respect to DPI; and 
 
 a transceiver configured to transmit the packet to a separate device, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the flag insertion module. 
 
     
     
       27. A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a first device, a packet from a second device, the packet including a flag specifying whether requested content should be obtained from a cache of a cache server; 
 checking, by the first device, the flag included in the packet; 
 determining, by the first device, the flag as specifying that the requested content should be obtained from the cache of the cache server; 
 routing, by the first device, the packet to the cache server, in response to the determining; and 
 receiving, by the first device, the requested content from the cache of the cache server.